Insurance Providers May Soon Have To Reveal Rationale Behind Premium Increases

By Laurel Brishel Prichard-University of New Mexico/ Talk Radio News Service

Health and Human Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told reporters Thursday that through the administration's health care reform effort, health insurance providers could soon be required to publish the rationale behind premium increases on American's policies.

“Right now we have a situation where the top 5 companies filed earning reports of $12.7 billion for 2009 in terms of profit statements and yet pivot around with double digit rate increase," Sebelius said during a conference call with reporters. “People have no bargaining power, they have no leverage and often are desperate in terms of what in the world they are going to do."

According to the secretary, posting the reasons behind raised premiums online will provide additional transparency.

Sebelius's remarks came shortly after a meeting with a variety of the heavy hitting insurance company CEO's and commissioners, including those from UnitedHealth Group, Aetna and WellPoint.

President Barack Obama stopped in during the meeting, according to Sebelius, to share a letter that he received from a cancer survivor in Ohio. Her rates were increased 25 percent last year, which put her insurance premiums at $7,000, with $4,000 in out of pocket costs, and has been informed that her rates will go up another 40 percent this year.

Sebelius quoted Obama saying “that kind of rate increase is just unacceptable and unsustainable.”

Saving The Environment Could Save You Cash And Maybe Your Job, Says Labor Secretary

By Laurel Brishel Prichard University of New Mexico/ Talk Radio News Service

A new rebate program for home retrofits proposed by the Obama administration could save homeowners hundreds of dollars a year and create new jobs, according to Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.

“The single act of retrofitting these home to make them more energy efficient is one of the fastest and easiest things that we can do to put Americans back to work while saving families money and reducing harmful emissions,” Solis said during a conference call with reporters Tuesday. “In short, this is a triple win. We are meeting the needs of workers, employers and home owners.”

Solis added that the administration will offer training programs to instruct workers in retrofitting. The secretary contended that the program is an important step in recovering the hard-hit construction industry.

The $6 billion program would be divided into two rebates, the gold and the silver star, which would be added to the current energy tax rebate program that was enacted under the Recovery Act, according to Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Carol Browner.

The silver star program would issue a 50 precent rebate for point of sale purchases on energy saving equipment up to $1,000 and cap the credit amount to $3,000 per home. The gold star program would be an overall rebate of $3,000 on whole home energy retrofits.

Browning estimates that around 2-3 million homes would be affected and homeowners could stand to save around $200- $500 per year in energy costs.

No Solution Coming Out Of Health Care Summit, Claims Policy Analyst

By Laurel Brishel Prichard University of New Mexico/ Talk Radio News Service

According to Robert Moffit, Director of Health Care Policy at the Heritage Foundation, Thursday's White House hosted health care summit did not progress the ongoing debate over health care reform.

"There was obviously no solution to the outstanding differences between [parties]," Moffit told Talk Radio News.

Moffit added that if Democrats pass a health care bill by side-stepping traditional order by resorting to reconciliation, it will not be an easy process.

"Is it possible for them to do it? Yes, I think it is," Moffit said. "You could maybe pass a bill through the budget reconciliation process but it's going to look like Swiss cheese ... because certain provisions would be [declared] out of order. Then you have a mess on your hands."

According to Moffit, Congress should work on areas that already have bipartisan support, such as providing insurance for low income working families that are not able to get coverage through their employer and allowing states to enact their own style of health care. Congress should allow for interstate commerce that would give consumers the ability to purchase their preferred insurance from another state.

"There's no reason why we can't have very significant progress in health care reform, which would significantly reduce the number of people who are uninsured and at the same time break the log jam in Washington," said Moffit.

Cyber Security Finally In The Spotlight, Says Homeland Security Secretary

By Laurel Brishel Prichard University of New Mexico/ Talk Radio News Service

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano stated Thursday morning before the House Appropriations Committee that for the first time in the Department's short history, cyber security has held a prominent position in the budget's review process.

The proposed budget would give a total of $379 million for the National Cyber Security Division. The funds would allow for the direct hiring of over one thousand cyber security experts.

“DHS analyzes and reduces cyber threats and vulnerabilities, distributes threat warnings, coordinates the response to cyber incidents and works with the private sector and our state, local, international and private sector partners to ensure that our computers, networks and cyber systems remain safe,” according to a statement released by Napolitano.

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Toyota President Accepts Responsibility For Deaths Due To Car Defects

By Laurel Brishel Prichard - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota Motor Corporation, expressed extreme sorrow to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Wednesday. Toyoda said he was deeply saddened over the deaths of over 30 Toyota drivers due to gas pedal malfunctions, and said he took full responsibility for the accidents.

The automaker's head assured the committee that his company prioritizes safety over anything else.

“I myself, as well as Toyota, am not perfect. At times, we do find defects. But in such situations, we always stop, strive to understand the problem, and make changes to improve further. In the name of the company, its long-standing tradition and pride, we never run away form our problems or pretend we don’t notice them,” said Toyoda.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHSTA) has attributed 34 deaths to the ‘unintended acceleration’ of the Toyota vehicles. This number tops the 27 deaths caused by Ford Pintos in the 1970’s.

“It turns out that people from all over the country had been complaining about sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles for years, and what people are wondering is, “Am I next?”,”said the committee's Chairman Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.).

Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood testified earlier in the day, and reiterated his recent warning to drivers that continuing to drive cars which have been recalled is unsafe. LaHood, who faced an onslaught of grilling from lawmakers during the hearing, stressed that safety has and will always be the top priority of the NHSTA, and reminded the committee that the department had pressed Toyota to issue the recall of the 2.3 million vehicles that were fitted with the pedals.

“We haven't been sitting around on our hands. When people complain, we investigate. When there needs to be a recall, we do it,” LaHood insisted.

LaHood urged Toyota customers to check the Department of Transportation's website to see if their car has been recalled, and implored anyone at risk to take their car to the nearest Toyota dealership immediately.